Purim is pretty important, it says in gemora Magilla that 48 prophets and 70 elders including Chagi, Zacharia and Malachi

enacted the Holiday of Purim.

The day of Purim is likened to the day we received the Torah. In Masechet Shabat it says the Jews experienced the miracle of Purim with such happiness and ecstasy that they took upon themselves to keep the Torah with a whole heart, as the verse says ”they received and established”, as though they were standing on Mt. Sinai.

In Gemora Sanhedrin we learn that from Purim we begin to discuss the laws of Pessach as is stated by Rabba to Rabbi Nachman. Rabbi Nachman of Bresslov teaches that Purim itself is a preparation for Pessach, and it protects us from Chumatz on Pessach.

To understand this let us look at the mitzvot of Purim. The Mitzvot of Purim may seem less Mystical than waving the Lulov on Succoth or blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, or the Seder of Pessach, but it must be understood that the Mitzvot of Purim such as Hearing the Maggilla, sending gifts to friends, sending gifts to the poor, Having a meal and getting drunk are like the nature of Purim itself, only disguised as something Natural, but being the will of Hakodesh Baruch Hu arise from a lofty place. These mitzvot which seem so common every day things as giving gifts like Purim itself come to remind us of the hidden face of GOD, that happens around us continually. It is known that there is no chance occurrences. GOD controls everything there is, and all that occurs. We see this when looking closely at each of the commandments. How blind are the eyes of men to the wonders of GOD.

THE MITZVA OF

DRINKING ON PURIM

Chatam Sofer writes that the idea of drinking on Purim is to repair the drinking that was done by the Jews at the party of Achashverosh, which led to other sins. The Abuderhem writes that the reason we are commanded to drink wine on Purim is to remember all the miracles that were brought about through drinking at parties during the Purim story. Firstly, Vashti’s downfall came due to all the wine Achashverosh drank, then, when Esther replaced her, Achashverosh made another party. Most importantly , Haman’s downfall came during the party that Esther had prepared for him and Achashverosh.

We need to shake off all of the accepted certainties that conceal the truth from us. The sages teach “when wine enters secrets emerge” (eiruvin). In our generation we very much need our inner secrets to come out and be revealed.

The Rebbe of Kotzk writes that drinking wine on Purim is a segulah for prayers to be accepted. The Yigael Ya’acov brings down from his rebbe, the Imre Yoseph of Spinka that by drinking wine on Purim we bring the Geula closer and the building of the Beit Hamikdash. The Yitav Lev says that drinking wine on Purim is a segulah for Parnasah, that they will not have to chase after their livelihood, but that rather, it will come easily to them.The holy rebbe of Zidichov says that drinking on Purim is considered as great as fasting from Shabbat to Shabbat, an entire week without food or drink!

Make no mistake though Purim is not just a drinking party

The Jews of ancient Persia celebrated their stunning victory over their enemies who the very next day had legal authority to kill them all. This victory did not come about through the Hands of Heaven. No, every Jew had to get his hands “dirty” and fight and kill those who sought to fight and kill them. The real miracle was two-fold. The first miracle was that a new law was instituted that gave the Jews first crack at their enemies. However, this first miracle alone would not have saved anyone. The second miracle required the Jews of those days and in those lands to actually rise up, arm themselves and physically seek out, fight with and kill those who wanted to kill them. If any of their enemies were to survive and live to see the day of the 14th of Adar, then the law would have been of their side to kill Jews with impunity. Therefore the Jews of the time had to be very thorough to make a quick finish of all their enemies. For the Jews of those days to rise up, pick up arms and actually shed blood, even the blood of those who so clearly wanted to kill them, was a great miracle.

On Purim we do the mitzvah of sadakah of giving gifts to the poor. And we have the mitzvah of sending “shalach manot” (small packages of Food). These may be small offerings, but they do have a great effect. Similar is the mitzvah of the 1/2 Shekel every Jew has to contribute to the Temple in Adar. This seems to be the idea that a little can go a long way. The Oar Hachyim tells us that the 1/2 Shekal is not a Physical transaction but works in the Spiritual worlds. It removes the rule of the stars and constellations from upon Yisrael.

The numerical value, Gematria, of shekalim is 480, the same as the number for lilly ‘wife’ of the Samech Mem (Devil). We conclude the ’weeks of shovavim’, which is a tikun (repair) for the sin of the the brit milah. (holy covenant) This repair, subdues the negative forces, and the completion of the fixing is through the giving of the Half Shekel.

Concerning giving gifts to the poor “Sadakah” its effects are so far reaching as R. Yeshua Ben Lavi teaches that He who continually gives sadakah will have wise wealthy children well versed in “Agada”. R. Eleazer Ben Yosi Teaches sadakah and deeds of kindness bring peace and good understanding between Yisrael and there father in heaven. R. Yuhuda teaches that sadakah delivers from death. Who can list the merits of a single mitzvah ? In conclusion R. Yochanan says in the name of R. Shimon Bar Yochi that great is the merit of supporting the needy, it brings the resurrection before its time. Charity ”Sadakah” in Hebrew ”the holy tongue” comes from the root ”sedek” (righteousness). The Zohar teaches that in Aramaic, language of the Talmud, Charity is ”zchuta” which is the same word for ”merit”. Its degree of merit is according to the needs of the recipients of the charity. Charity is a greater Mitzvah when given where its needed to the needy. Instead of giving Charity to a institution where the majority of the money donated goes into an administrator’s pocket, and only a very small amount of the donation actually helps anyone. Its better to give charity to the needy where its needed, and this truly has great merit before heaven. This is why it is a obligation to send gifts specifically to 2 poor people on Purim. We see here a little of how far reaching the effects of giving to a poor person goes.

The king Achashvarosh made a huge feast for his subjects 30,000 Jewish people attended, even if Mordichy warned them not to go. This meal angered GOD greatly. The sages say this meal got the Jews closer to the gentiles and their ways and farther from GOD. It was shortly after this that there arose Haman with his evil plans. Easter’s meal with Mordichy Haman and King Achasvarosh Was direct atonement for the evil meal. So to we are commanded to make a feast during the day specifically on Purim. For no other holiday are we given a special command concerning only its day meal. This draws attention to the correction in the world made by the afternoon ”sudah” (meal) of Purim. This mitzvah atones for the sins that lead to the evil decree almost causing us to be annihilated by Haman. This meal joins body to soul. Only then is there the special mitzvah of getting of drunk. ”till the point of not being able to tell ”cursed Haman from Blessed Mordichy”. At other times such behavior is seen as deplorable. But on Purim we get drunk. Purim comes to remind us of the miraculous nature of nature itself. The Magid of Koznitz teaches that by “sacrit” of Purim we raise those who are fallen. Illuminating the eyes of the sons of Human to learn Torah. Purifying sparks in them by the sanctification of the Divine name. Raising those fallen sparks. Each Purim more are purified. Not purified by merit, but by “Kidusha” of “nachat Ruach” over the miracle of Purim.

We learn in Atz Chym from the Ari Hakodesh That Ester is called השחראילת (doe of the morning). She is described green being the aspect of the “green Kav” which is Bina that surrounds the world. Its from this green kav nature’s nature is created. By this level of revelation we can understand what must be done as never before. This revelation of the shechinah is of such great beauty the Ar’i compares it to a virgin. The Kamarna Rebbe teaches Ester was like a green “etrog”, as She was green. Ester dressed in Malchut. Rabbi Aslag explains concerning this That the color of the illumination of Chuchmah in Malchut is called Ester. It is as gold-green, the color of the Etrog. Green like Gold is Chuchmah in “Chassadim”. Mordichy is such a level that His power nullifies power of מרדכי=בלעם+בלק =לאה+רחל +2 This is a very high level such that the Ar’i teaches in Mavua Sharim that in “gan aden” souls have a garment described as זך (shinny). Mordicy and Ester merited this garment while still in this world. This is what it means when it says, they had garments of “Malchut”. This is the aspect of אפר (dust of the earth), but as before the sin of Adam. By this “malchut” one certainly takes part in governance, providence of the world. The Aor Enyim reveals that on Purim the Yesod of Abba is revealed going out of the Yesod of “Parzuf” Rachel which is the “magilla”. Purim has the “ateret” (crown) of great gold of Chuchmah, and chesed. It Spreads out Chesed of Arich which dresses in Aba, from the side of “din” of Imma. Concerning this Chesed the Ar”i teaches in Lecutim that light is revealed in the Yesod from “Chesed Elyon”, this is the “leviyaton”. This is the “cord of Chesed” that illuminates in Malchut that is Ester. It is hidden in Abba and Imma in the secret of “ד”.

The Rashas”h teaches that during the exile of Bavel Zu”n stood back to back in “mochin gadlut” (developed consciousness) of Abba and Imma. After 70 years the “mochin” left Z”a. Then came Mordichy and Ester and the light was renewed. From Shar Cavanot we learn Purim is the time, and preperation right before redemption. It was for Pasach that Ester declared a 3 day fast . No Matzoth was eaten that Pasach. This was unbearable before heaven and evoked mercy that caused the sleep of king Achasvarosh to become disturbed. This resulted in him searching His Chronicles and remembering that Mordichy had saved his life but has not been rewarded. This led to the raising of Mordichy and the downfall of Haman and his evil plans. This brings us back to our original question of how it is that Purim protects us from “chumatz” on Pessach? In the simplest sense R. Shimon teaches “chumatz” is the evil imagination, like a haughty man it rises up. Arrogance can only occur when one does not know who it is they stand before. As Pharoe who represents the evil inclination said “ Who is GOD ? “ Purim reminds us to see GOD in all things, especially those things people take for granted as being mundane, coincidence and by “ chance “. This is essential as if we forget, then GOD has to remind us. As Rashi teaches us that Amalack is the dog GOD sends to bite us ש “חו when we forget where GOD is. To clarify this further we see in Pesicta of R. Kahana that Edom tries to make Yisrael go out side of the Torah path, but beyond the path’s borders GOD has placed the dogs. We see this idea reflected in the verse from Tihilim “ flatten it flatten it to its very יסוד ( foundation ) “ The sefira Yesod is sometimes call צדק (righteousness), the proper path. Edom would like to push Yisrael off the proper path to the dogs. How important is it to practice righteousness in one’s supposed mundane activities. Their give and take in the physical world. As R. Kahana teaches that you may be certain in a generation whose weights and measures are false will have a wicked kingdom wage war against them. So why does it appear in this world that the wicked seem to prosper ? One’s whose business practices exploit the poor. We can understand this by looking at the relationship between Yomkippurim and Purim.

Why is Yom Kipurim כ (like) Purim ? Just as on YomKipurim a lot is drawn and from it is chosen a goat to be given to distract the accusers on high. Like throwing a dog a bone. Then Yisrael is judged favorably. So too is the story of Purim. The wicked one drew lots trying to find when according to astrology would be the best time to attack Yisrael, Yet this too is only a distraction as there is no such time. As GOD rules within Nature. From The Ner Yisrael we learn פור (lot)=(2)קמ”ג . GOD controls the “lot”. The wicked think they are prospering in their evil way , but the truth is as Adam Ha Reshon Said “ The wicked thrive as grass, all the evildoers flourish in order that they may be destroyed for ever “. This will be when their cup of inequity is full and they inherit their lot.

After Masiach comes there will be no longer Pasach, Rosh Hasanah or Yom Kippor but Purim will continue to be celebrated. This is a celebration of the absolute and complete destruction of Amalack. It is good to have in mind before the reading of the megila that in the merit of this mitzva, God should exterminate all the evil powers of this world, which is related in an acrostic of the first letters of the verse, ’to remove the filth from the land.’

The holiday of Purim from sefirah of Chochmah. After the Messiah comes it will be the last holiday to go. Even after we no longer need Yom Kippur to access its holy light in the eighth millennium, Purim will still be a unique time. Only in the ninth millennium will the light of Purim shine everyday, at a very advance stage of Olam HaBah (the World-to-Come). Purim now, opens up access to light of the ninth millennium, the light of the sefirah of Chochmah. Shabbot gives us access to the light of the seventh millennium and Yom Kippur to the light of the eighth millennium. Purim is higher than all of these !

Rabbi Chaim Vital immersed in a mikva erev Purim as was his custom before every Shabbat and festival. Shabbat clothing is worn on Purim, and if women have gold jewelry, Rabbi Yoseph Haim writes in ’Ateret Tiferet’, they should adorn themselves with such Jewelry to honor the festival. The custom is to say, ’Cursed is Haman’ three times, and intend to bring down the Samech Mem and his legions, and so to say three times, ’Blessed is Mordechai’, as was the custom in the holy yeshiva, Beit El. During the morning reading of the megila, when the words, ’for the Jews was light and joy, happiness and riches,’ the custom is to touch and kiss one’s tefilin. Before making the festive meal, after reading the Megila and concluding the morning prayers, a person should immediately perform the ’mitzvot hayom’, by gifting gifts to the poor (matonot l’evyonim’) and afterward, ’sending food to one’s friends’, ’mishloach manot’, and then begin his personal festive meal, so too was the custom of the Ari’zal, and the Ra’shash.

R. Moshe Cordevero is Shur Kumah teaches that from the מאמר (creative utterance) that were made by Mordichy and Ester there was a מאמר by GOD added to their אמירה (loving type of speech). Becouse a מאמר by GOD joined to their אמירה the power of Malchut extended to include all the people. Such a מאמר has the power of a ruling of the King. Concering this its tought if you want a ruling of the King call the sefirot of the מאמר that is needed. By this there will be a arrousing of the king without doubt. The Ramcha”l in his safer Tefilot in # 515 says that by אהי”ה Haman was given into Esters hand’s (אהי”ה is a name of the כסא). כסא=אף(anger)

The Midrash Rabba writes that Mordechai ha Yehudi, after he had heard the decree of Haman,

gathered together all the children who learned Torah, who were pure of soul, and began to teach

them Torah. While he was teaching them, Haman entered the Beit Midrash in order to take him

according to the command of the king, to lead him on the horse of the king in the king’s garments.

Mordechai thougth Haman came to kill him, however Haman came over to him and asked him, ‘What are you teaching the children?’ Mordechai answered him that he was teaching the portion of the grain offerings brought in the Beit HaMikdash. Haman said, The ‘kometz’ or portion of your hand, ie; the learning of Torah you perform now, is worth more than the 10,000 shekels silver I gave to Achashverosh.’

‘ The Ari’zal writes in Sha’ar HaGilgulim that the power of Haman HaRasha which had enabled him to succeed in bringing such a difficult decree against the Jews was actually from the power of the holy sparks that had been hidden in the soul of Haman. And with this holy power,

he had come to attack to the Jews. But from where did he derive this power? From the spark

of the soul of the holy sage of the Talmud, Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat, that was embedded in his soul.

The Gemara writes about Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat that he had been a school teacher who was

completely dedicated to imbuing his students with the holiness of Torah and mitzvot. And this is

why Mordechai’s first response to Haman’s decree was to gather the school children together to learn

Torah. Because that was Rabbi Shmuel bar Shilat’s mitzvah, and it was the power of this mitzvah that

extracted the sparks from the soul of Haman. And because of this, Haman lost the power of holiness

hidden in his soul, and from this point on, Haman’s downfall continued until his death, and the

fall of all the enemies of the Jews. As it was in those days, so shall it be in our days as well.

R. Manachem Mendal of Chabad taught that when Queen Ester called on Mordichy to gather all the Jews and fast that Mordichy gathered thousands of children and taught them Torah until they became inspired to the point that they proclaimed “ we will stand with Mordichy and the Torah for life or death “ In the same day the decree against the Jews was made null and void, even if it only became known later. It is this type of devotion we must strive for in our divine service. Then evil has no leg to stand upon ! This can be seen in the teaching in Perke d Rebbi Eleazer as there we learn “ with the 4th from the little finger of the right hand GOD showed Moshe the ½ shekel, this is the finger of redemption.” It taught in Safer Ha Brit, also by Cyim Vetal and many other places that this finger corresponds to the flow of the sefira Chuchmah ( Divine Creative inspiration ). The wisdom of GOD above understanding. At this level there is no free will, only truth. The Holy Ar”i reveals that on the day of the miracle of Purim, God shined upon the Jews a great divine light, through which they were saved from their enemies in both a spiritual and physical sense. And thus every year, on that day, a great saving light comes to the Jews and shines upon them.

So what is Purim anyway, it is named after the ”pur” (lot) drawn by Haman. By definition, a lot is an object used in deciding something by chance. Therefore, in a lot, all possibilities are essentially equivalent. For the lot, ”yes” and ”no” are equal. This is alluded to in the two words for ”yes” and ”no” in the Aramaic idiom quoted above:

The word for ”yes” is hen, which is numerically equivalent to the word ha’kol (55), meaning ”all” in Hebrew. Furthermore, the word for ”no” in Aramaic, lav, is numerically equivalent to the Hebrew word hevel (37), which means “vanity”. These two words form together the central phrase of Ecclesiastes” (1:2): “all is vanity,”–ha’kol hevel. This is the meaning of a lot.

May it be that we all see this fulfilled as the sages say “ till one does not know the difference between cursed is Haman and Blessed is Mordichy “, but all only the revealed will of GOD, as there is no other ! With the gathering of the exiles and the building of the Bait Hamigdash with our Righteous Maschiach in Rachamim quickly in our days AMEN SELAH !

During times when sacrifices were offered sin never clung to Yisrael as these offerings made atonement for them.1 Rabbi Yose teaches concerning the twelve properties of the Torah that inequity can be purged even without sacrifices of flesh but with words of Torah. Even if punishment is already decreed against one, it can be annulled. Words of Torah can purify those who are unclean. He who studies Torah is first purified and then sanctified. 2 Now Torah is from Z’a (Source of Ruach-Emotional Soul), but with complete self sacrifice one can taste the Torah of the future. This is the Torah of “atik” (The ancient of Days source of Delight) or “aor ganuz” (hidden light). This is acquired by one who never prays for his personal benefit, it is as if he is not part of this world.3 Fire is Binna (Divine Understanding). The Torah is spice against the “Yetzer Hora” (evil inclination). Through being occupied in Torah, which is called Bina. Bina is the source of Givurot. “Dinim” (judgments) are only sweetened in their source being in the Torah. This is by including the left in the right, making טוב (good). This is as Avraham’s sacrifice at “batara”. Which is the future slaughtering of the “Yetzer Hora”. Separating it from us. By cleaving oneself in the light of the Eyn Sof that flows from the letters of the Torah. There goes in judgments to their source. They are corrected in their source in the Torah.4 Malchut of Atzilut is called fire. Fire is Atzilut. But since we are in “galut” this fire does not have to power to burn up the “sitra achra” (other side). It is only strong enough to guard “kidusha” (holiness). It is in Rachamim (Mercy) that we are able to stand in this fire of Holiness. In the future it will be this fire which will destroy the wicked, and it is this fire that will build the 3rd Temple. This fire is the כבוד (Glory) of the Shechinah, by it we are sustained. It is יאהדונה”י. When this light stands on ones head all lights shine on it. יאהדונה”י makes all אחד (one). The “ו“ in the middle is the hand of God, which is between 2 “ י “ . By “yichud” the Shechina (Divine Presence) rises to the Ayn Soff (infinateness) and decends to את .5

Like a sacrifice, Torah is offered as a gift to God. He is at his own table.6 The sages teach in the Talmud that at one time, the sacrificial altar atoned for Israel. Now one’s table, through the spiritual elevation of his food, accomplishes it.7 We learn from Rabbenu Bachyah that once a person con­fesses his sins to God, no angel is permitted to harm him. Confession atones for the wicked; once they accept the judgment, they merit life in Olam HaBa. The words of confes­sion stand in the place of sacrifice. Thus, to avoid grievous Judgment one must confess even for inadvertent sins, as these require a guilt offering. Many have been saved from death by confession. 8 The main greatness of the Divine Name is through wealth. All this is decided by the כסא (thrown) and משפט (judgment). Dont take benefit of a mitzvah before it is complete (dont create a incomplete mitzvah or lacking compared to what you are capable of). This is as if a Cohen were to eat from a sacrifice before he had completed his required Divine service with it. Do the mitzvoth (commandment-attachment) in a way of כבוד (honor) due to the Holy king. Don’t enter into doing the Mitzvot in a light headed way. By comprehension of the mitzvot one comes to be careful with their fulfillment as then they understand that the mitzvot involve Holiness. Then they will do them with all their power, cherishing and guarding their kidusha. But if one enters to fulfill mitzvot with arrogance or not in a serious way they will not comprehend in truth “hashgacha” (divine providence), or see the way of the Mitzvot.9

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realize that events are going on that are dramaticly changing our world as we know it. It very well could be these events will take us into the Messianic era. God has said through his prophets in the end of days he will return the People of Israel to their land. It looks like that events going on now may just ‘encourage’ Jews to return home. By these events , history, at least as we know it, may be wrapping up. We may be approaching life-altering events. Event are building below the surface. The pipes could start blowing all over the place. History may be coming to its Messianic end.

LETS LOOK AT WHATS BEEN AND IS GOING ON :

The World Trade Center came down in 2001. It’s as if we had been asleep until September 11, 2001. This was in spite of the fact that, until 1990, the Arab world had referred to the Americans as the ‘Great Satan’ and had threatened to attack the West after it finished with the ‘Zionist enemy.’ Before Hussein attacked Kuwait, and forced the Americans into an alliance with Saudi Arabia, who used the new relationship as leverage against Israel, the Arab world put America into the Israeli camp. For fanatical Islamic religious leaders, the war changed nothing. America was still the land of infidels, as well as a major Zionist ally. September 11, 2001 was their way of emphasizing this point.

The devastating attack on the World Trade Center changed everything. America was finally at war against Islamic terrorism.

While the Americans went off to Afghanistan to fight the terrorists, Arabs moved West to France, England, the Netherlands, America, Canada, etc., and made lots of converts everywhere they went. They brought Shariah Law with them, and with their tenacity to greatly increase the Muslim population everywhere they go, they have been threatening the national character of many Western countries.

Some are realizing that the war against the Jews is really a war against everything Western as well. However, the majority still doesn’t get it, and doesn’t want to get it either, because the problem is already too big to deal with.

The housing market burst and the money markets crashed in 2009. Arab unrest leading to Western forces intruding in Libya, which could trigger who knows what, the earth shakes more. When the earth literally shook and displaced Japan, creating a massive and destructive tsunami and a potential nuclear meltdown resulted:

Now what about this :

Alert: Nuclear (and Economic) Meltdown In Progress

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, 4:05 pm, by cmartenson

Important note:

It is with a heavy heart that I am now issuing the highest level alert to my readers that I have to date. The threshold for an alert is one or more world events that personally cause me to take action. I’m making this alert publicly available less than 36 hours after releasing it to my enrolled subscribers given its importance and the speed at which events are accelerating. The substance of this alert centers on the unknown aftershocks that may result from the world’s third largest economy, Japan, rapidly shifting from an exporter of funding to a consumer of it. In situations like these, we are by definition operating with incomplete and often confusing information, and events are developing more rapidly than they can be fully analyzed and internalized. We regret in advance any mistakes that we might make due to making calls and decisions in this highly fluid environment. This alert warns you that major, world-changing events are now underway and that your personal preparations for an uncertain future should either be completed or take on a new sense of urgency. On the basis of the information contained here and in the past two days of posts, I am personally ratcheting up my preparations, making purchases, and topping off what needs to be topped off. Important caveat: At this point in time, I cannot fully support 100% of my concerns with hard data and evidence. Some of what has tipped me into this state of urgency is data, evidence, and stories that I can point to. Some is due to the absence of data or information, the remainder results from watching market gyrations and correlations shift into new patterns, which tell me something is afoot. I have not been this concerned since October of 2008.”

The threat, as I see it, goes like this:

Stage 1: The world watches, riveted, as Japan suffers a tragic and horrible earthquake and tsunami, but as horrifying as these are, they are localized phenomenon affecting a relatively small percentage of the country. The real trouble lurks within damaged nuclear plants, which are now ruined and will never again produce electricity for Japan, creating instant shortages that will take years to remedy. Worse, a dangerous plume of radioactivity is carried south by winds. Tokyo partially empties and shuts down for all practical purposes.

Stage 2: The abrupt slow down of the world’s third largest economy alters the smooth flow of cash around the globe, and even causes reversals of some other long-standing flows. Chaotic eddies emerge in a decades-old pattern of ever-increasing flows of money into and out of the money centers, and various carry-trade and other interest-rate-sensitive strategies blow up. Manufacturing in Japan screeches to a halt, disrupting just-in-time manufacturing strategies both internally and across the globe.

Stage 3: In order to fund the rebuilding effort, Japan has to buy a lot of items from foreign suppliers at the same time that its exports plunge precipitously. At first Japan simply does not participate in US Treasury auctions, leading to a shortage of buyers. But eventually Japan has to sell some of its vast hoard of US bonds in order to pay for external items needed for its reconstruction. Further, insurance companies, huge holders of US bonds, face stiff liability claims in the wake of the worst natural disaster to hit a heavily industrialized center and are forced to redeem enormous amounts of Treasury paper. US Treasury yields begin to climb.

Stage 4: Continuing unrest in the MENA region serves to keep oil elevated and local funding needs high, while Europe’s weaker players (the PIIGS) continue to slip under the waves. Money continues to ebb away from the US Treasury market. Forced by circumstance, the Federal Reserve reverses its linguistic course and opens the monetary floodgates once again. There’s nothing like a crisis to justify more money printing, especially to a one-trick pony (the Fed) that only knows how to stamp its hoof on the ‘print’ button.

Stage 5: An increasingly chaotic monetary and fiscal situation spills over into the derivatives arena, creating a number of financial accidents. Stressed governments find themselves in more of an arguing mood than a pull-together-and-sing-Kumbaya mood, and agreements are hard to come by. Banks begin to fail again, global trade falls off, unrest continues to build, and then it happens – a currency crisis.

May we have the intellectual and emotional strength to transition through these final birth pangs of the Messiah’s arrival.

In addition to under reporting the fires at Fukushima, the Japanese government has not told the people about the ominous fact that the nuclear plant site is a hellish repository where a staggering number of spent fuel rods have accumulated for 40 years.

A contributor to the Occupational and Environmental Medicine list who once worked on nuclear waste issues provided additional information about Fukushima’s spent fuel rod assemblies, according to a post on the FDL website.

“NIRS has a Nov 2010 powerpoint from Tokyo Electric Power Company (in english) detailing the modes and quantities of spent fuel stored at the Fukushima Daiichi plant where containment buildings #1 and #3 have exploded,” he wrote on March 14.

The Powerpoint is entitled Integrity Inspection of Dry Storage Casks and Spent Fuels at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station and can be read in full here. The document adds a new and frightening dimension to the unfolding disaster.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools dedicated to spent fuel rods. These are located at the top of six reactor buildings – or were until explosions and fires ravaged the plant. On the ground level there is a common pool in a separate building that was critical damaged by the tsunami. Each reactor building pool holds 3,450 fuel rod assemblies and the common pool holds 6,291 fuel rod assemblies. Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. In short, the Fukushima Daiichi plant contains over 600,000 spent fuel rods – a massive amount of radiation that will soon be released into the atmosphere.

It should be obvious by now that the authorities in Japan are lying about the effort to contain the situation in order to mollify the public. It is highly likely there are no workers on the site attempting to contain the disaster.

Earlier today, a report was issued indicating that over 70% of these spent fuel rods are now damaged – in other words, they are emitting radiation or will soon. The disclosure reveals that authorities in Japan – who have consistently played down the danger and issued conflicting information – are guilty of criminal behavior and endangering the lives of countless people.
On Tuesday, it was finally admitted that meltdowns of the No. 1 and No. 2 reactor cores are responsible for the release of a massive amount of radiation.

After reporting that a fire at the No. 4 reactor was contained, the media isreporting this evening that it has resumed. The media predictably does not bother to point out why the fire is uncontainable – the fuel rods are no longer submerged in water and are exposed to the atmosphere and that is why they are burning and cannot be extinguished.

It cannot be stressed enough that the situation at Fukushima represents the greatest environmental disaster in the history of humanity, far more dangerous that Chernobyl, and the government of that country is responsible.

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Perhaps the most under reported and deadliest aspect of the three explosions and numerous fires to hit the stricken Fukushima nuclear reactor since Saturday is the fact that highly radioactive spent fuel rods which are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment facility are likely to have been massively compromised by the blasts, an elevation in the crisis that would represent “Chernobyl on steroids,” according to nuclear engineer Arnie Gundersen.

As you can see from the NPR graphic below, the spent fuel rods are stored outside of the active nuclear rod containment casing and close to the roof of the reactor complex. Video from Saturday’s explosion and subsequent images clearly indicate that the spent fuel rods at Fukushima unit number one could easily have been compromised by the blast.

According to Arnie Gundersen, a nuclear engineer at Fairewinds Associates and a member of the public oversight panel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, which is identical to the Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, the failure to maintain pools of water that keep the 20 years worth of spent fuel rods cool could cause “catastrophic fires” and turn the crisis into “Chernobyl on steroids.”

The BBC is now reporting that “spent fuel rods in reactors five and six are also now believed to be heating up,” with a new fire at reactor 4, where more spent rods are stored, causing smoke to pour from the facility.

“Japanese news agency Kyodo reports that the storage pool in reactor four – where the spent fuel rods are kept – may be boiling. Tepco says readings are showing high levels of radiation in the building, so it is inaccessible,” adds the report.

“At the 40-year-old Fukushima Daiichi unit 1, where an explosion Saturday destroyed a building housing the reactor, the spent fuel pool, in accordance with General Electric’s design, is placed above the reactor. Tokyo Electric said it was trying to figure out how to maintain water levels in the pools, indicating that the normal safety systems there had failed, too. Failure to keep adequate water levels in a pool would lead to a catastrophic fire, said nuclear experts, some of whom think that unit 1’s pool may now be outside,” reports the Washington Post.

The rods must be kept cool because otherwise they start to burn and, in the case of reactor number 3, would release plutonium and uranium in the form of vapor into the atmosphere.

“That’s bad news, because plutonium scattered into the atmosphere is even more dangerous that the combustion products of rods without plutonium,” writes Kirk James Murphy.

“We’d be lucky if we only had to worry about the spent fuel rods from a single holding pool. We’re not that lucky. The Fukushima Daiichi plant has seven pools for spent fuel rods. Six of these are (or were) located at the top of six reactor buildings. One “common pool” is at ground level in a separate building. Each “reactor top” pool holds 3450 fuel rod assemblies. The common pool holds 6291 fuel rod assemblies. [The common pool has windows on one wall which were almost certainly destroyed by the tsunami.] Each assembly holds sixty-three fuel rods. This means the Fukushima Daiichi plant may contain over 600,000 spent fuel rods.”

There have been massive design issues with the Mark 1 nuclear reactor stretching back three decades.

As ABC News reports today, “Thirty-five years ago, Dale G. Bridenbaugh and two of his colleagues at General Electric resigned from their jobs after becoming increasingly convinced that the nuclear reactor design they were reviewing — the Mark 1 — was so flawed it could lead to a devastating accident.”

“The problems we identified in 1975 were that, in doing the design of the containment, they did not take into account the dynamic loads that could be experienced with a loss of coolant,” Bridenbaugh told ABC News in an interview. “The impact loads the containment would receive by this very rapid release of energy could tear the containment apart and create an uncontrolled release.”